Windshield wiper assembly for vehicles,particularly for motor vehicles

ABSTRACT

A windshield wiper assembly includes a central casing or housing for a rotary electric motor with the rotor mounted around the shaft which extends outwardly and is supported on a roller bearing at each end of the housing. The portion of the shaft which extends outwardly on each end carries a worm which engages with a quadrant gear of an oscillating drive mechanism. The oscillating drive mechanism is contained in the housing at each end of the central casing, the housing also forms a bearing support for the windshield wiper blades and which carries the oscillatable drive mechanism which is connected to the bearing support to oscillate the windshield wipers.

United States Patent 1191 Schneider et al.

m] 3,733,913 1 51 May 22,1973

[54] WINDSHIELD WIPER ASSEMBLY FOR VEHICLES, PARTICULARLY FOR MOTORVEHICLES 22 Filed: Aug.26, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 175,140

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 3, 1970 Germany ..P 20 48717.6

[52] US. Cl. ..74l78, 15/250.27, 310/112 [51] Int, Cl ..F16h 21/40 [58]Field of Search ..74/78; 68/27; 15/250.30, 250.27; 310/112, 83

1,445,853 2/1923 Shaw et a1. ..74/78 1,813,656 7/1931 Blake et a1..3l0/112 1,832,560 11/1931 Kendig 1 ..68/27 2,51 1,946 6/1950 Sacchini..15/250.27

Primary Examiner-Charles J. Myhre Assistant Examiner-Wesley S. Ratliff,.lr. Attorney-John J. McGlew et a1.

[5 7] ABSTRACT A windshield wiper assembly includes a central casing orhousing for a rotary electric motor with the rotor mounted around theshaft which extends outwardly and is supported on a roller bearing ateach end of the housing. The portion of the shaft which extendsoutwardly on each end carries a worm which engages with a quadrant gearof an oscillating drive mechanism. The oscillating drive mechanism iscontained in the housing at each end of the central casing, the housingalso forms a bearing support. for the windshield wiper blades and whichcarries the oscillatable drive mechanism which is connected to thebeating support to oscillate the windshield wipers.

15 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED 3,733,913

SHEET 1 OF 2 Fig. I

4 l'fOF/VEK PATENTED W22 I375 3,733,531 3 sum 2 [1F 2 Fig. 2

WINDSHIELI) WIPER ASSEMBLY FOR VEHICLES, PARTICULARLY FOR MOTOR VEHICLESBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the invention This inventionrelates in general to the construction of windshield wipers and inparticular, to a new and useful windshield wiper assembly which includesa housing on each side of a central motor housing which carries theoscillating mechanism which is driven by the motor shaft extending intoeach side housing, the side housings forming a rotatable mounting forthe windshield wipers on each side end of the shaft. 2. Description ofthe Prior Art Different windshield wiper assemblies for motor vehiclesare known where the electro-motor revolves continuously if necessary andthe oscillating rotary movement for the wiper bearings are producedthrough mechanical driving connections to the shaft of the motor. Forthis purpose are used mostly cranks and linkages which establish thecoupling from the drive shaft of the electro-motor to the wiper bearingswhich are secured on the body of the car. The installation of suchwindshield wiper drive requires much assemblywork and also requires agreat deal of space even if the drive shaft of the electro-motor isconnected to directly connect the oscillating drive from whichthevarious linkages to the wiper bearings are moved. Another difficultyis added if the two wiper bearings of a car must be controlled formovement in oppositerotational directions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention thereis provided a simplified windshield assembly forvehicles which includesa centrally arranged electro-motor housing with an electro-motor rotorsurrounding the rotor shaft and with a shaft which extends out each endof the housing into a housing for the oscillating mechanism and for themounting the. bearing of the windshield blades which are arranged ateach end of the motor housing. The arrangement of the wiper bearings ateach end of a rotating shaft reduces the assembly work which is requiredfor the two windshield wiper blades and it requires less space and isless costly. In an embodiment of the invention the driving motor carriesa worm at each end whichdrives a gear connected to the oscillationlinkage which in turn is connected to drive the bearing for thewindshield wiper blades through an oscillation movement. The wholeassembly including thehousings for the oscillation mechanism and thebearing mountings together with. the central motor housing positionedtherebetween may be mounted as single assembly on the automobile so thatadditional mounting frames of the separate mounting of the electricmotorand each'windshield wiper bearing is not necessary because a separateoscillating drive is associated with each wiper bearing, the parts ofthe drive may correspondingly beweaker and less expensave.

The construction of the assembly is such that the length of the driveshaft of the electro-motor and the distance between the two wiperbearings of the oscillating drive housing are adapted tothe desiredinstallation measurements for the wiper bearings. The housings for thetwo oscillating drives carry flanges which are designed as end faces forthe casing of the electro-motor.

Due'to this arrangement the fastening means between the flanges and theelectric motor casing is eliminated and the oscillating drives arealways positively aligned in respect to each other. The unit can be veryflat if according to one embodiment the gear wheels, connecting rods,tooth segments, toggle joints, and the gear wheel for the wiper bearingsor wiper blade holding sleeves of the oscillating drives are arrangedpractically in one action plane which extends parallel to thelongitudinal axis of the drive shaft and from which plane the wiperbearings project perpendicularly.

The oscillating drives for the wipers comprise according to oneembodiment and gear wheel which is coupled to the driving worm definedon the associated end of the drive shaft. The gear wheel carries aneccentrically arranged bearing pin for a connecting rod of a toothsegment which drivingly engages a gear secured on the bearing for thewiper blade. With such a design oscillating of the two wiper blades ineither direction I may be accomplished.

The drive may be carried out in many ways. The driv ing worm of thedrive shaft can be arranged to drive the gearwheels of the oscillatingdrives which may be coupled therewith in the same or in an oppositedirection of. rotation. Another possibility is to arrange the bearingpins for the connecting rods on the gear wheels of the two oscillatingdrives at the same angle or at an angledisplaced from each other by sothat one wiper oscillates at a different time than the other.

With still another arrangement, the toothed segments of the connectingrods can be arranged to drive the gear wheels connected with the wiperbearings in the same or in the opposite directions. In view of the greatnumber of possibilities of the use of the oscillating drive, with thesame or equal number of parts it is possible simply by assembling themin the oscillating drive to drivethe two wiper bearings in the same orin an oppositedirection. This increases the universal application of thedriving unit.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide animproveddrive for a pair of windshield wiper blades which includes acentral housing with a driving motor driving a shaft having an extensionat each end arranged in an oscillating drive housing for each wiperblade and with an oscillatable mechanism driven by the shaft arranged ineach wiper housing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a drive. for windshieldwiper blades which includes a mechanism at each end of a drive shaftwhich housed in a wiper blade housing forming the mounting for thebearings of the wiper blade.

A further object of the invention is to provide a wiper blade mechanismwhich is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical tomanufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to an forming apart of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention,itsoperating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses,reference should be had to the accompanying drawing and descriptivematter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of a windshield wiper assembly for thetwo wiper blades constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section taken along the line IIII of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a section taken along the line III-III of FIG. 1.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to thedrawings in particular, the invention embodied therein, as indicated inthe drawings, comprises a central motor casing in which is positioned anelectric motor stator 11 which is energized to rotate a rotor 12 affixedto an electric motor drive shaft 13.

In accordance with a feature of the invention the drive shaft 13 extendsbeyond the ends of flanges 15 and 17 of the motor casing 12 throughassociated bearings l6 and 18 and into respective housings and for theoscillating mechanism to drive an associated window wiper.

The drive shaft 13 carries a driving worm 19 at each end which engageswith the oscillation mechanism contained within the housing 20 at oneend and within the housing 30 at the opposite end. The flanges 15 and 17of the motor casing 10 are constructed so that it is possible to fix theposition of the housings 20 and 30 at a desired spacing on each end ofthe housing 10.

The housing 20 carries a gear wheel 21 which is rotatably mounted on pin22 which is journalled in the housing front wall as shown in FIG. 2. Thegear wheel 21 meshes with the driving worm 19 and the drive shaft 13 andperforms, in a continuous run, of the electric motor, the rotarymovement indicated by the arrow 50 shown in FIG. 1. The gear wheel 21carries an eccentrically located pin 23 which is articulated to aconnecting rod 24. During the rotation of the gear wheel 21 the bearingpin 23 describes a circular path and shifts the connecting rod 24 whichhas an opposite end which is formed as a toothed segment 29. The toothedsegment 29 is maintained by meshing engagement with a gear wheel 27which is connected to a bearing 28 which accomodates the shaft of thewiper blade and which supports the wiper blade for oscillatable movementwith the bearing 28. A toggle leg 26 is articulated at one end to thecenter of the toothed segment 29 and at its opposite end to the centerof the gear wheel 27 so that it forms a double butt strap as indicatedin FIG. 3. The toggle lever 26 includes the two strap parts whichenclose the toothed segment 29 and the gear wheel 27 on both sides. Abearing pin 25 locks the but strap part rotatbly on the connecting rod24 and the other ends of the butt straps are guided directly on thewiper bearing 27. If the connecting rod is moved upwardly from the solidposition to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 1 during theclockwise rotation of the gear wheel 23, the toothed segment 29 effectsa rotation of the wiper bearing through the engagement of the gear wheel27 in a counter clockwise direction.

A similar oscillation mechanism is contained in the housing 30. In thisconstruction, there is a gear wheel 31 coupled with a driving worm 19 ofthe shaft 13 which is in turn in the same direction as the gear wheel21. The bearing pin 33 for connecting rod 34 is arranged on the gearwheel 31 at a location displaced approximately 180 from the location ofthe comparable pin 23 and the gear 21. This means that the connectingrod 34 is moved from a solid line position shown in the drawings of FIG.1 downward into the position shown in dotted lines during the same phaseperiod of movement of the gear 21. Because the toothed segment 29 isarranged on the other side of the connecting rod 34 the gear wheel 37 ofthe wiper bearing 38 is turned counter clockwise.

In the represented drive of two gear wheels 21 and 31 the two wiperbearings 28 and 38 perform a rotary oscillating movement in the samedirection. It is possible, however, to arrange the bearing pins 23 and33 on the gear wheels 21 and 31 at the same angle in which an oppositerotary oscillating movement can be achieved for the wiper bearings 28and 38 and the associated wiper blades. This simple change of the typeof movement may be achieved very easily upon the installation of theparts.

The same effect can also be achieved by driving the gear wheels 21 and31 in different directions by the corresponding construction of thedriving worms 19 and the associated gear wheels. The engagement betweenthe driving toothed segment 29 and the gear 27 also determines thedirection of movement of the wiper bearing oscillation in dependence onwhich side of the wiper bearing axis the point of engagement is located.

The complete unit may be made substantially flat if the gear wheels 21and 31, the connecting rods 24 and 34, the toothed segments 29 and 39,the toggle joints 26 and 36, and the gear wheels 27 and 37 are arrangedpractically in one action plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of thedrive shaft. The wiper bearings 28 can be made to project outwardly fromeither side of the housing 20 or 30.

As seen in FIG. 2, the housing 20 and 30 of the oscillating drives areclosed by a cover plate such as the plate 40 which carries an adjustingscrew 4l with a lock nut 42. The axial plate of the drive shaft 13 canbe adjusted by the screw 41.

While a spcific embodiment of the invention has been shown and describedin detail to illustrate the application of the principles of theinvention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle windshield wiper assembly, comprising an electric motorhaving a rotatable single rigid drive shaft having a driving gear ateach end, a windshield wiper bearing adjacent each end of said shaft,and an oscillating drive connected between said driving gear and saidwindshield wiper bearings adjacent each end of said shaft, housing meansfor said motor said windshield wiper bearings and said oscillatingdrive, and means on said housing means for securing said housing meansas a unit on the vehicle for positioning both bearings on operativepositions thereon.

2. A windshield wiper assembly, comprising an electric motor having arotatable drive shaft having a driving geat ar each end, a windshieldwiper bearing adjacent each end of said shaft, and an oscillating driveconnected between said driving gear and said windshield wiper bearingsadjacent each end of said shaft, an intermediate housing for saidelectric motor having an opening at each end through which said shaftextends, and an oscillating-gear-and-windshield-bearing housingsurrounding each end of said shaft and carry said oscillating drive andsaid windshield wiper bearing,

said housings being arranged directly adjacent each other and beingfastenable as a unit to the vehicle.

3. A windshield wiper assembly, comprising an electric motor having arotatable drive shaft having a driving gear at each end, a windshieldwiper bearing adjacent each end of said shaft, and an oscillating driveconnected between said driving gear and said windshield wiper bearingsadjacent each end of said shaft, wherein said oscillating drivecomprises a rotatable gear, said drive shaft having a driving gear inthe form of a worm engaged with said rotatable gear, a bearing pineccentrically carried on a side thereof, a connecting rod connected tosaid bearing pin and having a toothed segment formed at its oppositeend, a windshield wiper bearing gear carried on said windshield bearingand engaged with said segment, and a toggle joint articulated to thecenter of said bearing gear and said toothed segment.

4. A windshield wiper assembly, according to claim 3, wherein saidtoggle joint comprises a double butt strap enclosing said toothedsegment and said bearing gear.

5. A vehicle windshield wiper assembly, comprising a central motorhousing portion having an electrical stator, a single rigid shaftextending through said housing and being rotatably supported therein andhaving an electric rotor thereon for rotation upon energization of saidstator, said rotor shaft extending outwardly from each end of saidhousing, a first oscillating-drive-andwindshield-wiper-bearing housingportion arranged around one end of said shaft, a second oscillatingdrive and windshield wiper bearing housing portion arranged around theopposite end of said shaft, an operating gear rotatable in each of saidfirst and second housings and driven by said shaft, a segment memberconnected to said gear on one side thereof at an eccentric location andbeing oscillated by rotation of said gear, a windshield wiper bearing ineach of said first and second housing portions for oscillatably carryinga respective windshield wiper and having windshield wiper drive gearthereon located within respective said first and second housingportions, said wiper drive gear being connected to said segment memberand beingdriven thereby to oscillate said windshield wiper bearing, saidfirst and second housing portions forming a unit adapted to be securedto the vehicle for positioning said windshield wiper bearings inoperative positions thereon.

6. A windshield wiper assembly, according to claim 5, wherein said shafthas a worm at each end engaged with said operating gear and wherein saidgears in said first and second housing portions each rotate in the samedirection.

7. A windshield wiper assembly, according to claim 5, wherein said shafthas a worm at each end driving respective ones of said gears in saidfirst and second housing portions, said gears in respective said firstand second housing portions being driven in opposite directions.

8. A windshield wiper assembly, according to claim 5, wherein saidsegment member in said first housing portion is connected to the sameside of the associated gear as said segment member of said secondhousing portion and they are arranged on their associated gear wheels atthe same angular location relative to each other. i

9. A windshield wiper assembly, according to claim 5, wherein saidtoothed segments are arranged to drive said gear wheels of said firstand second housings housing portions in respective opposite directions.

10. A windshield wiper assembly, according to claim 5, wherein saidbearing pins of said gears are displaced by in respective first andsecond housing portions.

11. A windshield wiper assembly, according to claim 5, wherein saidtoothed segments drive said gear wheels in the same direction in saidfirst and second housing positions.

12. A windshield wiper assembly, according to claim 5, wherein saidtoothed segments drive said gear wheels of said first and second housingportions in opposite directions.

13. A windshield wiper assembly, according to claim 5, wherein said mainmotor housing portion carries end flanges at each end rotatable supportbearings for said motor drive shaft.

14. A windshield wiper assembly, according to claim 5, wherein said mainmotor housing portion includes means for aligning said shaft forpositioning said first and second housing portions.

15. A windshield wiper assembly, according to claim 5, wherein saidoperating gears, said connecting rods with said toothed segment and saidbearing gears are all arranged in substantially one action planeparallel to the longitudinal axis of said drive shaft.

1. A vehicle windshield wiper assembly, comprising an electric motorhaving a rotatable single rigid drive shaft having a driving gear ateach end, a windshield wiper bearing adjacent each end of said shaft,and an oscillating drive connected between said driving gear and saidwindshield wiper bearings adjacent each end of said shaft, housing meansfor said motor said windshield wiper bearings and said oscillatingdrive, and means on said housing means for securing said housing meansas a unit on the vehicle for positioning both bearings on operativepositions thereon.
 2. A windshield wiper assembly, comprising anelectric motor having a rotatable drive shaft having a driving geat areach end, a windshield wiper bearing adjacent each end of said shaft,and an oscillating drive connected between said driving gear and saidwindshield wiper bearings adjacent each end of said shaft, anintermediate housing for said electric motor having an opening at eachend through which said shaft extends, and anoscillating-gear-and-windshield-bearing housing surrounding each end ofsaid shaft and carry said oscillating drive and said windshield wiperbearing, said housings being arranged directly adjacent each other andbeing fastenable as a unit to the vehicle.
 3. A windshield wiperassembly, comprising an electric motor having a rotatable drive shafthaving a driving gear at each end, a windshield wiper bearing adjacenteach end of said shaft, and an oscillating drive connected between saiddriving gear and said windshield wiper bearings adjacent each end ofsaid shaft, wherein said oscillating drive comprises a rotatable gear,said drive shaft having a driving gear in the form of a worm engagedwith said rotatable gear, a bearing pin eccentrically carried on a sidethereof, a connecting rod connected to said bearing pin and having atoothed segment formed at its opposite end, a windshield wiper bearinggear carried on said windshield bearing and engaged with said segment,and a toggle joint articulated to the center of said bearing gear andsaid toothed segment.
 4. A windshield wiper assembly, according to claim3, wherein said toggle joint comprises a double butt strap enclosingsaid toothed segment and said bearing gear.
 5. A vehicle windshieldwiper assembly, comprising a central motor housing portion having anelectrical stator, a single rigid shaft extending through said housingand being rotatably supported therein and having an electric rotorthereon fOr rotation upon energization of said stator, said rotor shaftextending outwardly from each end of said housing, a firstoscillating-drive-and-windshield-wiper-bearing housing portion arrangedaround one end of said shaft, a second oscillating drive and windshieldwiper bearing housing portion arranged around the opposite end of saidshaft, an operating gear rotatable in each of said first and secondhousings and driven by said shaft, a segment member connected to saidgear on one side thereof at an eccentric location and being oscillatedby rotation of said gear, a windshield wiper bearing in each of saidfirst and second housing portions for oscillatably carrying a respectivewindshield wiper and having windshield wiper drive gear thereon locatedwithin respective said first and second housing portions, said wiperdrive gear being connected to said segment member and beingdriventhereby to oscillate said windshield wiper bearing, said first andsecond housing portions forming a unit adapted to be secured to thevehicle for positioning said windshield wiper bearings in operativepositions thereon.
 6. A windshield wiper assembly, according to claim 5,wherein said shaft has a worm at each end engaged with said operatinggear and wherein said gears in said first and second housing portionseach rotate in the same direction.
 7. A windshield wiper assembly,according to claim 5, wherein said shaft has a worm at each end drivingrespective ones of said gears in said first and second housing portions,said gears in respective said first and second housing portions beingdriven in opposite directions.
 8. A windshield wiper assembly, accordingto claim 5, wherein said segment member in said first housing portion isconnected to the same side of the associated gear as said segment memberof said second housing portion and they are arranged on their associatedgear wheels at the same angular location relative to each other.
 9. Awindshield wiper assembly, according to claim 5, wherein said toothedsegments are arranged to drive said gear wheels of said first and secondhousings housing portions in respective opposite directions.
 10. Awindshield wiper assembly, according to claim 5, wherein said bearingpins of said gears are displaced by 180* in respective first and secondhousing portions.
 11. A windshield wiper assembly, according to claim 5,wherein said toothed segments drive said gear wheels in the samedirection in said first and second housing positions.
 12. A windshieldwiper assembly, according to claim 5, wherein said toothed segmentsdrive said gear wheels of said first and second housing portions inopposite directions.
 13. A windshield wiper assembly, according to claim5, wherein said main motor housing portion carries end flanges at eachend rotatable support bearings for said motor drive shaft.
 14. Awindshield wiper assembly, according to claim 5, wherein said main motorhousing portion includes means for aligning said shaft for positioningsaid first and second housing portions.
 15. A windshield wiper assembly,according to claim 5, wherein said operating gears, said connecting rodswith said toothed segment and said bearing gears are all arranged insubstantially one action plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of saiddrive shaft.